Optical TV Output into Home Cinema System

[rossmc88]

I have a TV with an optical sound output port. If I connect that to an optical input on a home cinema system, will anything that is being played through the TV, i.e. Sky, PS3, produce surround sound on the home cinema system?

Any advice would be great!

[roverspeed]

Make and model of the tv would help, but it should do.

To get 5.1 they'd have to be connected via hdmi

[Crackie]

roverspeed said:

Make and model of the tv would help, but it should do.

To get 5.1 they'd have to be connected via hdmi

Optical is fine for Dolby digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1 but optical does not have the bandwidth for Dolby TRUEHD or DTS-HD.

[rossmc88]

Yeah the sky box and ps3 would be connected to the TV via HDMI, then the TV's optical out connected to the home cinema system. I would be happy with 5.1 surround sound.

[OldSkoolRS]

Just to point out that even if you feed your TV with a 5.1 signal via HDMI it's most unlikely that this will be re-routed through your TV's optical output and remain in 5.1. More likely it will be decoded/mixed down into stereo an output via the optical as 2.0 PCM. Your home cinema system will then just create 'pseudo' surround sound using something like Dolby Pro logic or DTS Neo.

[legzr1]

Check the TV specs - some will pass through a 5.1 signal via optical from an HDMI feed but they're rare.

HDMI equipped av amps can be had for pennies these days and most also act as an HDMI switching unit even in standby - worth looking out for if you must have Eastenders in DD

[roverspeed]

My old Philips LCD output in 5.1 via hdmi and my current lg plasma does too. But I think I might have just been lucky

[stevoknevo]

My Sony kdl42w654 is capable of passing 5.1 via optical, but as mentioned, I believe it is one of very few which does.

[bodhi]

My current Sony 50W829A will output 5.1 over optical too, if that helps. Only slight irritation is it won't let you use the TV speakers and Optical Out at the same time - meaning you have to use the amp all the time. Fine by me, but it's still baffling the OH which input on the amp is which.

I came in from the pub last Saturday to find her and her sisters watching Planet of the Apes in silence, as she couldn't figure out the TV was on AV1. Bless.

[roverspeed]

You wOuld get an echo if running the amp and tv speakers at the same time anyway

[toohuge]

bodhi said:

My current Sony 50W829A will output 5.1 over optical too, if that helps. Only slight irritation is it won't let you use the TV speakers and Optical Out at the same time - meaning you have to use the amp all the time. Fine by me, but it's still baffling the OH which input on the amp is which.

I came in from the pub last Saturday to find her and her sisters watching Planet of the Apes in silence, as she couldn't figure out the TV was on AV1. Bless.

It's funny isn't it? My wife cannot comprehend this either and has 3 engineering degrees to back it up....

In the end we went for a Bose Tv, it's all built in and idiot proof.

Chris

[JimbobVFR]

I often think that controlling all of this equipment is something that most people neglect. For a relatively small investment compared to the rest of your kit you could add a decemnt remote that could automate it all.

My wife happily turns on various amps, sources and changes inputs on the TV and amp all without a clue as to how it works. I've had various different bits of kit and the buttons yuou press to control it hasn't changed at all in that time.

I use a Philips Pronto and an RF extemder but it took a lot of effort with programming to work how I want. I'd recommend a Logitech Harmony, the latest versions will also let you use a smartphone as extra controllers.

[rossmc88]

Thanks for the advice, I hooked up my TV via optical and it's all working how I wanted to, thanks again